I am thinking of taking my car to test & tune at the track tonight for the first time ever. It's an hour's drive to the track, and my speedo isn't working, but the temptation is getting to me.

I just want to see how my new 355 TPI and 3.42 rear end does.

I have never gone down a drag strip before. My car is automatic. I am running Kumho ECSTA street tires. I've heard to take pressure out of your tires, but I was wondering ... if I take air out, where will I get air to put back in to drive home? Do tracks just have an air compressor you can use there? Also, what's the best way for me to take off. I have tried power-braking to about 1,000 RPMs, and the rear end just lets loose and I spin forever. Should I just go from a dead stop with no brake?

I'm still undecided if I will go or not. I need you guys to get me pumped.

BTW it's a 1/8 mile track (Mooresville, NC). What kind of ET's might I be looking at with my setup? (See profile on left ... keep in mind that my car is a vert so it has a little extra weight.)

Thanks!

 

Radial street tires actually do better with more pressure. Radial tires have less traction with low pressure. If you do want to remove pressure, you should have a 12 volt air compressor that you can use to refill the tires of take a portable air tank with you.

If you're spinning while trying to powerbrake at 1000 rpm, you probably need new tires. Launching at the track isn't much different. Launching at an idle is fine. You can load up the driveline slightly and launch at around 1000 rpm. If you start spinning before you launch, try a lower rpm. You should be able to hold it at around 1500. Launching at an idle or 1500 probably won't make much of a change in the ET.

An 1/8 mile ET? Spinning off the line, low to mid 9's. A good run, mid 8's at best.

 

Well, I didn't get to go ... rained tonight.

But 8's would put a big smile on my face ... thanks for the advice!

 

I had to race 1/8 mile last night. Got a best of 5.996 in the 1/8 I've been trying to get that 5 second 1/8 mile time for a while now.

 

Wow that's quick.

 

I have the same tires for the street. I ran those a few times.

With a 5 speed and 3.08 rear gears launching at just over idle I averaged 2.2-2.3 60 ft times. (a lot of spinning)

With an auto, a bit more power and more gear than that, you can probably expect the same.

With street tires, launch at just over idle, don't launch super hard and feather your way through first, and probably part of second gear, until it grabs then foot to the floor baby!

Basically, see what it does the first time and try to get it to grip a little better on the next pass. I have stalled on the line before trying to do just that, when I was first learning to launch the car at the dragstrip. (go ahead, laugh it up! )

 

I have an 89 RS with a TBI 305, 5 speed and 3.08's.
I launched my car at 5,000 plus. Light turned green dump the clutch and floor the gas. I did spin once, but I was in the lane that someone blew something and got oil or coolant on the track.

 

Every time I'm at the track and somebody stalls, I get really embarrassed for them. It's funny but sad all at the same time. I can't really laugh considering I wouldn't do any better. Funny to hear you tell it though.

 

You should defintely get to the track and have some fun the next time you get a chance. Stalling up a little bit on the converter isn't a bad idea - like was mentioned before you don't want any slack in the driveline, and posi works best preloaded like that. TPI makes such wicked low/mid torque, and the 700R4 has such a short first gear, that it is really easy to blow the tires off, especially on the street.

My first IROC was a L98 w/ a hard pair of Dunlops out back, and a 3.42 gear, that car didn't know the meaning of traction, you literally couldn't get WOT in first gear. Point is, be ready to feather it some. Practice a lot - rolling into the throttle is key, you can't just dump it WOT all at once and expect results. When you are getting decent launches on street pavement, you're ready for the track. You'll hook up TONs better on a well prepped track, if you can leave the line w/o wheel spin, its unlikely that you'll get the car to break back loose unless you're super aggressive with the throttle.

 

I know the "common advise" around here is radial street tire keeps high air pressure and little to no burnout.

EXPERIMENT!!

When i first started racing i tried that advise, did'nt work for chit, ended up down at 18psi and huge smoke show...hooked like a sumbeeotch after that

all our car set ups are different, tires are different and the load the tire will see will be different as well...so you have to play around and find out what your car needs/wants.

 

just go have fun and experiment dont expect ur first cpl passes to be great instead just work on getting them quicker and quicker each time then work on being consistant....my fist time ever at the tracks was in a 85 300zx turbo and i started the night in the 17s and ended up running 14.6 by the end of the night...just dont let the first run or two discourage u...

 

My first pass ever was a 15.1. Very next run...14.0.

I also found with the khumo ecsta's..........drive around the water and short burnout just to clean the tires

BUT, like was said before, every car is different and reacts differently to things.

 

These Kumho's just seem like such a hard compound. Probably the worst drag tire ever.

 

what size rims are u running i have 2 NITTO 555R 275/40/R17 drag radials for sale with more then 95% of tread left....

 

16's ... sorry.

And I don't have any 17's to put them on. Plus, I don't plan on getting so serious into drag racing with this car that I am going to be swapping rims/tires for the track. Now, if the drag bug bites me hard, then I might just have to get another car just for that. I can see the dollar signs rolling through my head now. It sucks to be in love with a money pit.